The Stars of the Year, Yıldız Holding’s annual awards recognizing outstanding projects delivered by its companies around the world, celebrated its 18th year with 22 awards across eight categories. Presented this year under the theme “Value Creation with Technology,” the Chair’s Award highlighted projects that turn technology into tangible, sustainable value.

The Stars of the Year Awards Ceremony, one of Yıldız Holding’s long-standing traditions reflecting its commitment to celebrating success together and pursuing continuous improvement, was held for the 18th edition this year. Bringing together colleagues and stakeholders from Yıldız Holding companies around the world, the ceremony took place at the Ülker Sports and Event Hall in Istanbul.

With refreshed categories expanding the scope of the awards this year, Stars of the Year attracted more than 200 project submissions. “Achieving Operational Excellence” drew the highest number of entries, followed by “Driving to Growth,” “Winning the Customer” and “Investing in People.” Following the jury evaluation and employee vote, 21 of the 59 finalist projects received awards. Together with the Chair’s Award, this brought the total to 22 awards across eight categories.

Each year, the Chair’s Award at Stars of the Year is dedicated to a different theme. This year, it was presented under the theme “Value Creation with Technology.” Among the projects evaluated for this special award by Yıldız Holding Chair and CEO Mehmet Tütüncü, those that harness technology to create tangible value, deliver measurable and sustainable results, and have the potential to serve as a model for other companies stood out.

Attending the ceremony, Murat Ülker said: “It gives me great pleasure to see how Stars of the Year has grown over the past 18 years into a global tradition that brings together our 80,000 colleagues around the world with the same sense of excitement. Seeing colleagues from different countries and cultures come together in Istanbul today is especially meaningful to me. We have grown and expanded across the globe over the years, but the values that unite us and the excitement of achieving together have never changed. I believe that recognizing, appreciating and celebrating an achievement together is just as important as the achievement itself. That is exactly what our ‘Make Happy, Be Happy’ philosophy stands for: wherever we are in the world, achieving together, celebrating success together and sharing happiness together.”

Mehmet Tütüncü: “Leading the future means turning ideas into value”

Speaking at the ceremony, Yıldız Holding Chair and CEO Mehmet Tütüncü described Stars of the Year as an important gathering that reflects the Holding’s strong corporate culture. He continued: “Our sustainable success at Yıldız Holding and across our companies is underpinned by a strong culture of anticipating changing needs, continuously evolving and turning new ideas into tangible results. Now in its 18th year, Stars of the Year is one of the clearest expressions of this culture, with refreshed categories and an ever-expanding scope. This year’s ‘Value Creation with Technology’ theme reflects the same mindset: leading the future means turning ideas into value, with technology serving as a strategic lever for that transformation. We are not simply keeping pace with this transformation. We see technology as a tool to enhance the way we work and strengthen our colleagues’ capabilities, and through this approach, we aim to shape the future of the industries in which we operate. This strategy gains its true meaning through our colleagues, who embrace it with determination and bring our ‘Make Happy, Be Happy’ philosophy to life. I wholeheartedly congratulate all my colleagues on their contribution to Yıldız Holding’s sustainable success, their hard work throughout the year to deliver outstanding projects, and the passion with which they continue to build on this tradition year after year.”

Transformation and technology take center stage

Following Mehmet Tütüncü’s remarks, Yahya Ülker, Deputy Chair of Yıldız Holding and Transformation and Technology Leader, joined a special conversation on technology and transformation. Ülker noted that true transformation begins not with adopting new technology, but with changing the questions we ask. He described artificial intelligence not as a substitute for human judgment, but as a tool that broadens the way we think.

Pointing to projects implemented across different Yıldız Holding companies as tangible examples of this approach to transformation, Ülker also reflected on his recent appointment as President of pladis Europe, emphasizing the importance of turning knowledge and experience from different markets into a mutually reinforcing source of strength.

Leaders’ panel explores the future of the industries

At the Stars of the Year Awards Ceremony, the transformation and future of the food, snacking and retail sectors in which Yıldız Holding operates were explored from a range of perspectives. The leaders’ panel held as part of the program brought together Tim Brett, Regional President, International at pladis; Uğur Demirel, President of Yıldız Holding’s Retail Group and CEO of ŞOK Marketler; and Mert Altınkılınç, President of Yıldız Holding’s Food Group and CEO of Besler. The panel explored how evolving consumer expectations are reshaping these industries in terms of value, nutrition, efficiency and sustainability, as well as the dynamics driving competitiveness across the value chain, from manufacturing and brands to supply chains and retail. The discussion also addressed how brands with a strong local heritage can scale globally and how a culture of collaboration can enable shared success across a broad ecosystem.

Technology and people share the stage

Alongside the awards program, the Stars of the Year Awards Ceremony featured a special performance that brought technology and creativity together. “Cosmic Symphony,” presented by artist and composer Mehmet Ünal and his team, offered attendees a distinctive experience. Combining digital technologies with human creativity and the human touch, the interactive performance invited the audience to become an active part of the experience. Cosmic Symphony demonstrated how technology can be used not to replace people, but to enhance human creativity and self-expression. The performance also brought the Stars of the Year ethos of creating together, thinking innovatively and preparing for the future to the stage.

Winning projects at the 18th Stars of the Year Awards

Driving Growth         

pladis UK and Ireland / Jaffa Cakes Turnaround
Project Team: Brian Small, Charlotte Hurst, Daniel Curran, Grace Redding, James King, Kate Howe, Kate Skeggs, Kate Williams, Michael Bailey, Sophie Ellis 

ŞOK Marketler / Win Win Win
Project Team: Aytaç Tombaz, Bülent Ömürlü, Erdoğan Tüccar, Göktuğ Gürleyensoy, Hasan Hüseyin Sert, Mehmet Erdoğan, Murat Namtı, Ramazan Gökberk Taş, Uğur Baykaler

Besler / A Nation of Fresh, A Challenge for Frozen
Project Team: Anıl Yapar, Goncagül Korzay, Aras Küçür, Bakiye Çırak, Barış Öner, Emrah Yurt, İlayda Konur, Mahmut Durmuş, Merve Biçer, Uğur Efe

Makina Takım / The Future Takes Flight with Domestic Production
Project Team: Adnan Kaplan, Aykut Aşık, Başak Arslan, Ferit Topaloğlu, İlday Erenler, Murat Şengezer, Osman Serhat Karabulut

Achieving Operational Excellence

pladis Türkiye and Central Asia / Rise of the Wafer – Oil-Lecithin & Depository Process Optimization
Project Team: Hakan Öztürk, İlhami Teker, Maksut Kâmil Babaoğlu, Mehmet Yılmaz, Mustafa Nusret Ergene, Volkan Kıratik, Yasin Kılıçarslan 

ŞOK Marketler / ŞOK Mobile In-Store Management
Project Team: Aytaç Tombaz, Çiğdem Özsöz, Hasan Hakan Akış, Merve Ekinci, Ömer Tekin, Raif Somuncu, Yasemin Kemal

Donuk Fırıncılık / DFU Continuous Improvement Projects
Project Team: Ender Esniye, Halil Çakır, İbrahim Bala, İlker Yılmaz, Ramazan Şölen, Serhat Süzen, Şahin Albayrak, Veli Can Demir, Yusuf Erkan Ersoy

Polinas / FIXITGPT
Project Team: Atra Zeynep Bahçeci, Berkay Topçu, Cemal Çeşme, Mert Akdoğan, Murat Akbaba, Murat Güngör, Nimet Sözeri, Oğuz Kent, Onur Gökbulut, Yasemin Rendeci

Winning the Customer

pladis UK and Ireland / Outstanding 2025 UK & Ireland Trade Advantage Survey Results
Project Team: Aslı Özen Turhan, Barry Cogavin, Cassie French, Graham Taylor, Michele Dainty, Neil Sidney, Paul Andrews, Phil lones, Tom Girdham

Besler /CrystalReform Project
Project Team: Barış Tansalar, Elif Dilara Süler, Gözde Paksoy, Hatice İçeli, Muzaffer Kamilçelebi, Osman Topçu, Rıdvan Paçacı, Selçuk Özşişli, Şule Sezgin

Bizim Toptan / Shift Perception, Unlock Growth
Project Team: Ferdi Özgül, Gürkan Gedik, Merve Şahin, Serhat Altınkılıç, Sultan Karlıdağ, Yasemin Karaahmet

Penta / Effective Target-Based Marketing by End-User Classification via N.A.C.E.
Project Team: Emrecan Yılmaz, Engin Çoban, İmran Sağlam, İnci Çıtır, Niyazi Yıldırım, Oğuz Kalkan, Tuğba Başer Aydoğan, Tuğçe Çetiz 

Investing in People

pladis UK and Ireland / Increasing Representation of Women in Engineering
Project Team: Alix Knagg, Emily Payne, Grace Fairey

ŞOK Marketler / FutureFit Leaders: AI-Enhanced Talent Selection System
Project Team: Gülbahar Yüksel, Ümit Çelik, Zeynep Taşçı

Continental Confectionery Company / Building Occupational Safety Culture via Theatre and Experiential Learning Approaches
Project Team: İrem Öztürk, Numan Gişi, Pelin Otman Can, Serhat Özaydın, Uğur Bahçeci, Ümit Can Sati, Zehra Başaran, Zehra Sümer 

Besler / BESLER: Nurturing the Future of Production
Project Team: Alper Yılmazer, Batuhan Ayar, Betül Demirci Akıncı, Hüseyin Sosyal, İrem Köprübaşı, Kemal Özeltürkay, Mustafa Genç, Tufan Ürün, Zafer Akça, Zeynep Girgin

Yıldız Holding / AI Academy
Project Team: Berkay Topçu, Mehmet Targün, Merve Koyuncu, Yasemin Rendeci

Shaping the Future

Yıldız Tech / Bizim Atlas
Project Team: Emel Yüksel, Mehmet Targün, Pınar Yıldıran, Yasemin Rendeci

Synergy in Action

Besler / DFU x BESLER Two Strengths: One Model
Project Team: Anıl Yapar, Bakiye Çırak, Banu Aracı Timuçin, Barış Açıkgöz, Esra Öz, Gamze Tekdurmaz, Goncagül Korzay, İlkan Ada, Nazlıhan Altunbay, Şahin Albayrak

Sustainable Impact

pladis Türkiye and Central Asia / Net Zero 2050
Project Team: Adem Bölükbaşı, Ahmet Burak Başpınar, Başak Daylan, Deniz Eryılmaz, Enver Yeniciler, Erdi Dönmez, Kazım Beğen, Serkan Kurt, Serkan Saygın, Tuğçe Özdemir

ŞOK Marketler / From Farm to Table: Sustainable and Responsible Agriculture
Project Team: Alev Yaman, Bülent Ömürlü, Ergün Ergül, Esat Uslu, Gökay Kahraman, Hülya Cebiroğlu Demirel, Murat Çiçek, Riyad İsmail Özen, Serkan Sin, Uğur Baykaler

Chair's Award of the Year - Value Creation with Technology

pladis UK and Ireland / Better Biscuits CRM
Project Team: Cara Mott, Charlotte Prain, Florence Brain, Jonathan Bowman, Matt Hawkins, Paul Burns, Steve Bristol, Yvette Murphy